Eagles’ Lane Johnson on Entering Year 13: ‘I Still Feel Young at Heart’

The two-time Super Bowl champion said the passion for the game is still there, and discussed how he makes it through the grind of training camp at age 35.

Lane Johnson #65 of the Philadelphia Eagles reacts after a touchdown run against the Washington Commanders during the third quarter in the NFC Championship Game at Lincoln Financial Field on Jan. 26, 2025, in Philadelphia, Pa., Mitchell Leff/Getty Images

Philadelphia Eagles offensive tackle Lane Johnson is well aware he’s nearing the end of his NFL journey.

Drafted by the Eagles with the fourth overall pick in the 2013 draft, Johnson is entering his 13th season in the NFL. Appearing on NFL Network’s “Good Morning Football“ on Wednesday, the two-time Super Bowl champion said the passion for the game is still there, and spoke about making it through the grind of training camp at age 35.

The conversation began with co-host Jamie Erdahl asking Johnson about his former teammate, defensive end Brandon Graham, who retired in March. Like Johnson, Graham was drafted by the Eagles in the first round and played his entire 15-year career with the Eagles. Erdahl noted that Johnson’s contract runs for two more seasons, and if he retires then, he would be tied with Graham as the longest-tenured Eagles player. She asked if he would like to play that long.

“Yeah, if there’s anybody to end in a tie with it would be BG,” Johnson replied. “It’s crazy that we had a number of guys all stay together for all these years. It doesn’t feel like Number 13, but here it is. I still feel young at heart, but you can’t ignore Father Time. But I’m still having fun and I enjoy what I do, and I love being around the guys, competing, and it’s just something that I really love doing—every minute of it.”

Co-host and former NFL linebacker Manti Te‘o pointed out that he and Johnson were drafted in the same year. Te’o then asked him what inspires him to continue the grind in the latter stages of his career. Johnson replied that he likes the structure of an in-season routine and interacting with his teammates after the offseason lull.

“There’s just something about laying it all on the line every week,” he said. “It’s hard to replicate that in any other profession. It’s very entertaining day-to-day, we put in work, but for me it’s all about the relationships that I’ve formed, and that'll last a lifetime.”

Erdahl then asked Johnson how he and his fellow veterans survived training camp. Johnson said he takes it “one day at a time,” and soaks in as much information as he can during positional meetings with offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland and assistant Greg Austin. He said there are “a lot of comedic aspects” to those meetings and many new faces each year due to free agency and the draft.

“Once that gets rolling, we really take it a day at a time,” he said. “Once we have a joint practice or two, we’re in the game. For us, it’s just about staying healthy and staying on top of your routine, just so you can practice hard and get through it.”

Johnson is also interested in passing on his knowledge and expertise to the younger generation. He is hosting the 8th Annual OL Masterminds Summit in Chicago this week. OL Masterminds is a coaching program founded by offensive line guru Duke Manyweather in 2018. Johnson noted that the first Summit had only 27 attendees, whereas they are currently expecting upwards of 200 players, scaling down somewhat after more than 325 players attended the 2024 event.

“This is all about growing the game, this is all about O-Line development,” Johnson said. “We’re able to get some of the highest [rated] and best players that have ever played the positions to come into a room and really talk everything from off-the-field routine, to diet, to how we attack in the run game, and pass game. So you really go into the dynamics of O-Line football, and it’s just a great weekend to develop and create new relationships.”